CLEVELAND − It was absolutely bizarre. And yet, so familiar.

I stood in the Cleveland Guardians clubhouse on Wednesday, Sept. 24, and it felt like I had been transported back in time. Exactly one year. Back to the 2024 Tigers.

“We have all bought in," one of the young Guardians told me before they played the Detroit Tigers .

Another said: “We trust the process.”

Yes, it sounded like the 2024 Tigers all over again. “I played with a lot of these guys in the minor leagues,” George Valera, a Cleveland rookie, told me. “It just feels comfortable. You get to be yourself. Everybody here has the same mentality.” Expert MLB daily picks: Unique MLB betting insights only at USA TODAY

It was like talking to the young Tigers in 2024 after they were called up after the trade deadline. Those yo

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